Unlike the bustling and lively commercial streets, the northwest area of Konoha was an industrial zone, filled with tall factory buildings and pipes everywhere.
Normally, one could hear the noisy sounds of machine operations and steam eruptions.
But because of the New Year, the workers were on holiday, and this place had fallen into complete silence.
A person wrapped entirely in a large trench coat, wearing a tiger-striped mask, with messy shoulder-length hair, swaggered down the alley.
"It has been a long time since I came to Konoha, the appearance of this place has not changed at all!"
As this person walked, he looked around. Under the only eye hole on the mask, a blood-red pupil with a pattern of three black tomoe gleamed with curiosity and excitement, just like a child.
Suddenly, two dark figures stepped out from the high walls on both sides, holding long swords in their hands, and slashed mercilessly at this person.
"Whoosh!"
The blades pierced the air, accurately hitting the masked man.
But there was no usual feeling of obstruction from hitting an object. The blades passed through that person's body toward the companion on the opposite side.
"Clang!"
Trying hard to retract their force, they finally managed to deflect the blades, striking against each other's swords.
But before they could breathe a sigh of relief, they saw the space twist, forming a spatial vortex.
And the source of the vortex was exactly the eye of the tiger-masked man.
Despite their desperate resistance, it was to no avail; the two were sucked into the eye by the spatial vortex.
No, through the eye as a medium, they were sucked into an alternate dimension.
The masked man pinched his chin in thought: "Root's hidden sentries, it seems the entrance in the intelligence Itachi gave is not far."
Suddenly, the muddy stone floor beneath his feet surged, and a pitcher plant grew out.
Then, the pitcher plant parted, revealing a person with distinct black and white halves.
"Madara, the surrounding situation has been scouted, Root's base is right underground here."
"What about the route?" the masked man called "Madara" asked after a slight ponder.
"There are several. The route Itachi gave is the one with the most traps and the strictest guards." The black-and-white person finished speaking, then immediately said in another voice: "It seems Itachi does not want to cooperate sincerely, he wants to use Danzo's hands to get rid of us."
"Itachi was indeed forced to cooperate with me, but to say he wants to use Danzo's hands to kill me is going too far. He is just testing my strength, the premise of cooperation is that I possess a strength far greater than his."
"So that is how it is."
"Then should we continue moving forward?"
"If we are discovered by the hidden sentries in advance, with Danzo's slight caution, he will absolutely not stay and fight you, but escape from other exits. If it attracts too many Konoha ninjas, it would be bad."
"It does not matter, Danzo cannot escape."
Madara was calm and unhurried. The scarlet Sharingan gently spun, stirring up a spatial vortex, and the two were instantly sucked into it, disappearing from their original spot.
...
"What did you say!?"
Inside the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen slammed the table and stood up again. He rested his hands on the desk, leaned his body forward, and looked at Itachi in disbelief.
"Do you know what you are doing? Itachi!"
Hiruzen yelled angrily.
At this moment, he was truly angry.
Companions of the same village killing each other was what he wished to see the least. Even when the Uchiha decided to stage a coup, his first thought was not armed suppression, but to talk to Fugaku, hoping for a reconciliation.
It was just...
When Shisui was killed by Danzo, were you also this angry?
Itachi looked at the furious Third Hokage and closed his eyes with a complex look.
He recalled three months ago when he told him about Shisui being killed by Danzo.
The Third Hokage was indeed angry, very angry, smashing things in the office indiscriminately. Itachi had never seen him lose his composure like that.
He also took preventive measures, ordering restrictions on Danzo's movements, forbidding Danzo and Root from continuing to interfere in Uchiha affairs.
And then that was it.
No punishment was meted out to Danzo.
Itachi even saw a trace of rejoicing in the eyes of this respected old man, rejoicing that Shisui was dead.
The existence of Kotoamatsukami made everyone fearful.
Perhaps even the Third Hokage himself did not notice this trace of emotion, but Itachi saw it.
From that moment on, Itachi knew that the old man he respected immensely had changed.
He remembered what his father told him.
The former Third Hokage possessed great love and held compassion for everything in the world.
He cherished every companion, even villagers, and would not let those he protected get hurt even if it meant sacrificing himself.
But after taking this position, there were too many last resorts, too many things that required ruthlessness to resolve.
Gradually, with aging and repeated compromises, this old man was defeated by reality, starting to sacrifice the minority to protect the majority, and also began to use dark methods to maintain the village's prosperity.
Itachi could understand all of these, and his respect for the old man had not changed in the slightest, but his views and attitudes toward him had changed.
He no longer trusted him without reservation like before, beginning to think about the pros and cons of every decision himself, then deciding whether to execute it, and what kind of outcome it should conclude with.
It was precisely because of this that Itachi was confronting him tit-for-tat here.
"Attacking companions of the village is betrayal." Itachi lowered his head and said in a deep voice, "After this incident, I will be a Konoha missing-nin."
"Itachi..."
Hiruzen's cloudy eyes widened slightly.
He slowly raised his slightly trembling right arm, stopped halfway, and then put it down.
He took a deep breath, his body no longer trembling, and his eyes became unusually firm.
"Itachi, raise your head and look at me."
Itachi hesitated for a moment, then raised his head, his eyes firm as a rock.
Hiruzen was very familiar with this look; he too once possessed such a look.
And precisely because he had possessed it, he was even more aware that Itachi could not change this decision.
Because Itachi was protecting Konoha and protecting peace in his own way.
And unlike Danzo and his current self.
Itachi was sacrificing himself to protect, not sacrificing others.
Such resolve was even harder to change.
However... nothing is absolute.
His former self was also like this, didn't he also change under the cruelty of reality?
Hiruzen sat back in his office chair, let out a deep sigh, and softened his tone. "Itachi, do not do this. There must be other ways, a way where no one has to sacrifice."
"There is no better method." Itachi shook his head gently. "Danzo once taught Shisui that ninjas must have the spirit of self-sacrifice when necessary. Only then can they protect everything they want."
"Since Lord Danzo could teach Shisui this, he himself must also be willing to sacrifice for Konoha's peace. And me merely becoming a missing-nin is a far cry from Lord Danzo's sacrifice, it is not worth mentioning."
"..."
Hiruzen fell silent.
What kind of virtue did Danzo have? As brothers who grew up playing together, how could he not understand?
What self-sacrifice...
Perhaps when it truly came to the point where a sacrifice had to be made, he would do so. But as long as there was still a turn of events, wanting him to sacrifice himself to complete others...
Dream on!
But even so, Hiruzen could not just watch Danzo die.
"I will not let you kill Danzo. If you want to kill Danzo, you will have to step over my dead body!" Hiruzen's gaze was solid and incomparably firm.
Itachi shook his head gently and said indifferently, "I said before that killing Danzo is a second preparation. Since it is an internally prepared plan, I naturally anticipated that Lord Hokage would try to stop me, therefore the one killing Danzo will not be me either."